The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-08-05
ON REFORM
In Tho Civil sersico-soms Chareete
TTlA E~xnressiopN From Him.


HIGGINS ON REFORM
In tho Civil s~ersico-Soms CharHeteristio
Expressions From Him.
EeS York Esning bun.
The two most noticeable things at Long
Branch yesterday were two dudes and
Anti. Civil Service Eugene Higgins. Mr..
Eugene Higgins, Appointment Clerk in
the Treasury Department at Washington,
was q prominent contrast TO tho dudes.
Every gambler from around at Phil Days
would have been willing 10 recoup their
Losses on Hanover the day before by
giving biz odds that the dudes were Ming.
wnnpB. but not 0 man Of them would
take q 100 to / chance that Mig" as he
Is a~fIectionatsly termed, stood In with the
dndee, even II he did nod 10 them.
Mr.. Higgins wore o homo manufactured
gray quit Of clothes and o tall white hat,
set OIL Ut the foundation With a two.ior.a.
quarter cigar. He was trying 10 keep
cool by talking 10 q. q. sbayne, the fur
man, whose business suggested a Septem.
Der temperature. Mr.. Shayne wanted 10
know II the Treasury Department had
rusty agents watching the gombols OF
Alaska seals and Canadian %smngglers.
"Just sent tho best man in the business
10 sitka. He'll stick to that fur company
like r healthy Baltimore crab to your fin.
ger. He comes from Southern Illinois, and
WINS recommended to me- by Morrison.
He's been there before, but the climate
makes him drink whisky-it's either
whisky or turn into an %icicle, he says,
and he begged me to nend him somewhere
else. ! believe In sticking to frat princl.
pies, 90 ! sent him back
Mr.. Higgins waa evidently In a good
humor, 30 the Erening Sun reporter, who
was proEent, asked vim what effect the ex-
ercise OF bis first principles In the late
Baltimore election would have on his pc.
sition as appointment clerk.
"see heie, that's all right. I saw yes.
to-day thst the Evening Sun got alter me
about telling tho truth, and gave q hint
that / had batter keep my mouth Bhut,
All I've got to say 10 that uever told the
truth In my liis. I've got 1t in mo, but its
going to. stay there, and when l die 1t will
be buried with me-"
"But didn't you say that civil service Is
a fruudYp
"Say It; why, Of course I did, and IN
cav Il again. Here's o man been working
for the Democratic party ever elnce he was
allowed to vote. When we get in a Dem.
ocratic Administration he comes up and
asks for Sl0o position. Hail over
the civil service age, Az, l believe, and
can't get 1t. Been working for the party
ever sincs he waa Of ago, and just because
be Ia AZ years old, when a man ought 10
be at his best, he Is ruled out. Pass the
examination ? Why, OF couras he could.
But he amt OF civil eeryics age. He's
done too much work for tho party.
We've got a whole lot OF clerks in the
Treasury Department who never passed a
civil service examination. About 700 OF
them are Republicans. AJAX them to bo
examined and they throw up their hands
and yell bloody murder.
"Eyery one Of those fellows tried to
keep US out, and they'll try 1t again Il
they think there is a show Of winning,
When a man plays cards for stakes and
wins, be wants the stakes. You can't rid
an election oil the Offices, no way you try
1t, and wheu the games v the win.
ming party ought to rake down the pile, OF
know why"
"lr. Higgins, what do you think Of
President Cleveland as the exponent Of
civil service reform 2"
swell, I'll tell you: Cleveland ia q
thoroughly honest man. and Is carrying
out the platform adopted by the Demo.
cratic Convention in Chicago the very
best he can."
EDO you think that be ia growing pop.
ular by doing so 2"
Popular? Say, his popularity Is Jump.
ing in the South and West like a scared
rabbit, and it's dollars to doughnuts that
he'll carry Rhode Island. It's q long
time before the nomination, though; but
II he gets 1t come and see me for odds on
Rhode Islsnd, and besides that it's even
money on his carrying Massachusetts,
The Mugwumps are getting there fast"
Mr.. Higgina declined to explain where
the Mugwumps were getting, and a gen.
tlemsn in the party, who said that he
wss q bsrnscled Democrat, and he kney
that Cleveland would be knitted in New
York, drew out this:
"Pshaw! you'll ell fall into line. When
I was q little boy my mother had to pay
me to take castor oil. Now you can 20 to
n drug store and get it dosed up 80 that
you wouldn'tkno it from a mint julip. II
Cleveland gets nominated just 20 in and
get your castor oil doEod up and swallow
It, and aay, Let it 20 at that But
this is dry talking. What do you say,
guilty
Every man in the party said "Guilty,"
and all moved away to getta little humid